Sometimes Your Heart Looks So Pretty
by Juliyeah
Summary: ...I just wanna live there. AU. Spashley.  "The angels got it right, when they made you the way they made you."
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_ This chapter is fairly short, just a simple little intro. Ashley should be introduced soon. :]_

As Spencer attempted to subtly tiptoe to her car, she waited for the affirmation that agreeing to this had, in fact, been a truly bad idea. After she

heard a surprisingly feminine squeal, his familiar form was suddenly bounding towards her eagerly. She would have laughed at the realization that

Aiden looked like some sort of monkey when he ran had she not already begun desperately trying to evade her friend.

* * *

"You're _so_ done, Spence," he mocked, breathing heavily as he followed close behind, water gun in hand. She chose not to reply; mostly because

she was having some serious issues with running in heels…and let's be honest, running in general. Suddenly, there was a firm hand on her

shoulder spinning her around effortlessly. They stared at each other. Her face showed a mixture of irritation and fear. He moved towards her as

they both still struggled to catch their breath and _his_ face displayed a triumphant smirk.

* * *

As he continued to move towards her, she backed away from him, hands up in surrender.

"Now Aiden, let's be reasonable here. It's me, your best friend, Spencer. The one who agreed to play this stupid game after you promised that

work parking lots were off limits? Can't you just forget you saw me and go chase around Clay or something?" Her pleas were clearly not

considered as he started to pump the water gun with fervor, aiming it directly at her face.

"Damn it!" he yelped when he realized the gun was void of any water, "I forgot to fill it water." Seeing Spencer's amusement he quickly added,

"It's an honest mistake!"

"Wow, Aid. You're officially the worst Water Wars player in the history of the game. Congrats," Spencer teased, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. You know, I liked you better when you were pleading for mercy."

"…Creepy."

There was a pause in their squabble, but not for very long.

"I mean, since you did break your promise," Spencer started expectantly, "how about you make it up to me by buying me some ice-cream….or is

that wallet you have empty too? Didya forget to fill it with money?"

"You're not funny."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Author note: I forgot to mention, the title of this story is taken from the song, "Valium" by Lisa Mitchell. Also, I don't own S.O.N and all that jazz. I'm still trying to get the hang of this fan fiction deal. I hope you'll be patient with me. _

_Oh! Also, if you're not sure what "Water Wars" is, it's just a more long term game with water guns. When you get hit, you're out. _

By the time Spencer and Aiden were finished bickering, finally having reached a truce, Spencer seriously doubted the age they actually were. Normal twenty-three year olds didn't plan games of "Water Wars", she was sure of it.

Glen had spent so much time supplying the group with squirt guns and creating a set of rules, she didn't have the heart to be the one to ruin it. Naturally, Clay and Aiden were ecstatic about the competition. Chelsea and Madison were much less enthused, but surprisingly willing.

That's why she was now jogging down an unfamiliar road, choosing to do her exercising somewhere her friends could not find and shoot her. Charming little apartments lined the block and she found herself appreciating the surroundings here more than where she usually jogged.

She believed this plan to be completely fool proof. She had underestimated their dedication.

As she turned another corner, she let out a startled and embarrassing shriek. There, parked on the opposite side of the road, was Glen's truck. He and Clay were smiling wickedly, hurrying to exit the vehicle and moving towards her.

Spencer's jog quickly transformed into a sprint. When she saw them get hindered by the fact that they left their water guns in the truck, she took the opportunity to do some quick thinking. Running would not work, so hiding was the only option.

She looked to the apartments and randomly chose a door to knock on, unsure of what legitimate excuse she could come up with for why she needed to enter and praying that someone would actually be home.

The door was swiftly thrown open, revealing stunning women, eyes bright. She was smiling confusedly, and _endearingly_, Spencer decided.

Taken aback by the brunette's disarmingly perfect smile, Spencer opened and closed her mouth, searching for words… or thoughts.

"Uh...um. Can I help you?" The stranger asked politely and slightly timidly.

"Uh…what?" Spencer replied eloquently.

She had been focused on the other women's raspy, attractive voice. When she chuckled, Spencer's brain snapped into action and she quickly said, "Okay, long story. No time to explain, but can I come in your apartment for, like, a minute?"

As she said this, her eyes darted back down the street to where Clay and Clay were struggling to make their way toward her. _Jesus. We Carlin's need to work out more. _

"Are you in trouble or something?" the stranger inquired, eyes following Spencer's line of vision, probably expecting to see cop cars.

No...No! Nothing like that," Spencer hurridly explained, realizing this woman probably believed her to be some sort of lunatic, which honestly, wouldn't be that much of a stretch.

"Listen," Spencer begged, "just…please, let me in, fast!" The stranger tilted her head adorably before pulling Spencer inside.

She would have been all about expressing her gratitude for this tremendous favor, but as soon as she felt that perfect hand trustingly grasping her wrist and pulling her to safety, Spencer was on fire. At the sound of the door slamming closed, she was startled out of her reverie.

"So, um, thank you," Spencer finally declared, breaking their silence.

The adorable head tilt was back, but this time it was also accompanied by the killer smile. Spencer, once again, was dazed into silence.

Spencer Carlin was never one to be at a loss for words, yet this girl had made her a stuttering, wordless mess …and as she dumbly admired the girl's features, she found that didn't mind all that much.

"I'm Ashley," the woman supplied pleasantly, reaching her hand out for Spencer to take.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Spencer immediately took the brunette's hand, delighting in the return of that foreign feeling of intense contentment. "Spencer."

"And you've got some explaining to do," Ashley added, good-naturedly.

Although the hand shake was slightly longer than necessary, Spencer was still disappointed when Ashley let her hand go. Spencer let her eyes scan over Ashley's pajama clad body, appreciating her toned abs and flawless…everything. Despite being dressed in simple clothing, she had Spencer dazed.

She hid this by chuckling at the girl's inquiry and beginning her account.

"My brothers and friends roped me into this 'Water Wars' game involving water guns and they're outside right now, ready to kill-or…um spray me with water and normally I wouldn't care so much about losing a childish game _[she totally would have. Ashley didn't need to know that], _but my stupid brothers bring out the competitive nature in me

and, logically, I knocked on your door to avoid them and now…I'm here with you and--"

Spencer cut herself of when she realized Ashley was attempting to stifle a laugh.

"That was quite the run-on," Ashley noted. Spencer blushed at this. Apparently, she was either stunned into silence or going on an anxious rant. There was no in between.

What a winner.

"Yeah, well we can't all be great speakers. Some of us are simple folk." Spencer recovered, finally, from the embarrassment. She allowed herself to take this moment to take in Ashley's apartment. It was cozy and artsy.

When her eyes returned to Ashley, she found her staring at her, grinning.

"_Simple folk_?"

"Forget it."

"I don't think I can." At Spencer's eye roll, Ashley's grin widened.

They were both startled out of the moment by a harsh knock on the door.

"Ohhh Spenceyyy," the voice sang, "I think it's in your best interest to come outside right now. We _saw_ you go in there. Surrender now and we promise we'll take pity on you."

"…Also, say _'Hi'_ to your friend in there for me. Couldn't help but see her when she answered the door. I'd like to give her a call sometime," Glen added to Clay's proposition, pathetically.

"Charming, Glen. You have such a way with words. I'm surprised you're single. Really," Spencer responded sarcastically, face close to the closed door. She turned to face Ashley for a moment to mouth an apology and was pleasantly surprised to see her leaning against the door beside her, looking on in enjoyment. She waved off the apology and returned her focus to the family squabble.

"Spencer Carlin!" Clearly they had lost patience.

"Not gonna happen, boys. Mmm. It's nice and toasty in here. How's the temp. out there?" Although it was springtime, the temperature lately had been unusually cool.

"You're such a tool, Spence."

She giggled victoriously at the nerve she struck. They were getting cold. Knowing them, they were probably getting hungry, too.

"Say Ashley," she loudly asked, "do you by any chance have a snack or two to share? I could use some water too, actually."

"Why yes. Yes I do," Ashley answered theatrically, "I actually still have some Girl Scout cookies around here somewhere. Interested?"

Spencer, still swooning at the fact that Ashley so easily played along in her cruelty, nearly forgot to answer. "Absolutely!"

Satisfied by the groans she heard on the opposite side of the door, Ashley tugged Spencer into the kitchen and lightly pushed her down into a chair.

"Don't you think it's a bit soon in our relationship for abuse?" Spencer joked.

Ashley only winked before setting down a box of Girl Scout cookies on the table and sitting down across from her.

"Wait, you actually have Girl Scout cookies!?" Spencer squealed excitedly, immediately regretting such a reaction. She only allowed herself to stop cringing when she saw that Ashley was seemingly pleased by her response.

"What kind of person would I be, lying about such a serious issue?"

Ashley opened the box, took out an entire sleeve of cookies and set it in front of Spencer before sweetly offering, "Want some milk?"

"Be still, my beating heart," Spencer spoke blissfully.

She was only half-joking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I promise the chapters will get much longer. I just have to get out of this 'only writing late at night' pattern. Thank you for the reviews.

After eating in comfortable silence for a bit, Spencer decided that she'd take advantage of the time she had to spend with Ashley.

"Soooo. Tell me about yourself, Ashley." She attempted to state this like a talk show host and was certain she failed miserably.

"Well, I am Ashley Davies. California born and raised. Twenty four years of age. Musician." She finished her short biography with a slight smirk, "And you?"

"As you have been made aware, I am Spencer Carlin. Water Wars extraordinaire…no, not at all. I'm a photographer and I'm excessively close to my family, like closer than I'd choose to be. I am twenty three and oh, yeah… I grew up in Ohio and… yeah."

"You sure you're not a motivational speaker because you are truly exceptional at talking."

She could not be blamed for any of what she said when this girl was around.

They were just lucky there were no accidental statements regarding Ashley's "assets."

Spencer having had enough of being teased about something completely out of her control, playfully remarked, "I'm sorry, who exactly allows strangers into their home and feeds them Girl Scout cookies? For all I know, you're a psycho killer."

"Mhmm. That's the most likely of all possibilities. I wait for others to knock on _my_ door and then I take that opportunity to feed them, give them shelter…and then kill 'em. Sounds about right."

"You forgot the abuse part."

"Right. Feed them, beat them, give them shelter, _then_ kill 'em."

There was a pause.

"Wow... I can't believe you'd joke about something like that. You know, you're really sick in the head," Spencer accused insincerely.

Somehow during that exchange they had stood up and they found themselves standing close to one another, both beaming wildly.

Spencer momentarily thought of how reckless it was of Ashley to smile at her in that way.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Spencer Carlin."

"You are aware we've already introduced ourselves…like two times, right?"

Ashley impatiently waved her open hand around for Spencer to take. Needless to say, she took it.

"Nice to meet _you, _Ashley Davies."

Eventually the girls gravitated to Ashley's couch where they began to talk about an array of topics ranging from their views on the movie 'Bring It On' (Ashley hated it, though both knew every line in it), to whether or not Ashley was a "partying, drug using, sex having, badass rock-star" (in Spencer's words).

To Spencer's tirade about talking during movies, Ashley laughed out, "I know! My fiancée is _always _saying, 'What happens next?' or like, 'I bet that's the killer.'…so obnoxious."

Based on Ashley's impression, Spencer made the assumption that her fiancée was a guy…or an extremely masculine girl. Either way, Ashley wasn't exact available. This news _physically _hurt Spencer.

Her heart didn't just sink, it drowned.

Shaken by this disappointment and brought back to reality, she decided that since the sun was setting, Glen and Clay had probably left.

There fore, she could leave too.

"Uh. As much as I appreciate you letting me stay here, I should probably get going."

She was aware of how badly masked her loss of enthusiasm was, but she just needed to leave and forget about the girl who fed her, sheltered her, talked to her, and _didn't_ kill her.

"Yeah…okay," Ashley agreed, sensing this change in mood, "I'll walk you out."

They awkwardly walked to the door and exited the apartment Spencer had grown quite fond of.

As they found their way to the sidewalk that had brought them together, Ashley who had her head turned to the road (Spencer's head was turned, obviously, toward Ashley), suddenly let out a loud sigh accompanied with a, "You have got to be kidding me."

Suddenly, she had spun Spencer around so that she stood in front of her, much like how they stood earlier in the night .Ashley, back turned to the road, let out another sigh.

Spencer confusedly rushed out, "Um. What are you do--"

She was cut off by the unmistakable sound of Glen's laughter echoing in the almost silent street.

Ashley's face contorted into a mixture of annoyance, but relief and it was then Spencer came to the realization that Ashley had just been drenched with water.

She was distracted by the way Ashley looked with her untamed, soaking wet curls, but slowly stuttered out, "You…saved me?"

"It was just water. I didn't actually, like, _save_ you," Ashley said, suddenly bashful.

"That was the Water Wars equivalent of taking a bullet for me…_Anddd_ you're blushing. I guess that answers my question about you being the badass type of musician."

Her words might have been a little more offensive if she wasn't still looking at Ashley in adoration.

"…You _saved_ me," she repeated happily, "Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_In response to the 'Is there going to be any Ashley P.O.V?' question, there probably will be at least a chapter of that at some point. I don't exactly plan ahead, though. So, only time will tell :] Sorry, this chapter is kind of "blah," for lack of a better… or legitimate word._

* * *

Spencer sat staring at her television, pretending for her own sake, that she wasn't simply obsessing. It had been over a week since her encounter with the girl she had met simply by fate…and a stupid game.

Ashley had grabbed Spencer's hand (which caused a mini heart attack, the welcomed kind), pulled a pen seemingly out of nowhere, and began to write a number down on her palm. After she momentarily admired her handiwork (no pun intended), she took a step back.

Spencer pictured the water-soaked Ashley giving her a crooked smile and a small wave as she began to jog back to her car.

Her final words to Spencer were, "Next time, I'm not going to be so generous."

Maybe she could have thought of a funny comeback if she wasn't so focused on the "next time," part of her statement. Probably not, though. She had proof in the form of a tattoo onto her hand that they would be speaking again, but those words still left her wordless.

Instead of giving a witty retort, she just nodded her head dumbly and whispered out an, "okay."

She nearly face-planted trying to maintain eye contact.

Even looking back, she was convinced it would have been worth looking at Ashley's gorgeous eyes a while longer.

Besides, she'd look pretty tough with a broken nose.

Wondering when exactly 'next time' would be and how exactly they would be in contact if the idea of calling Ashley made her sick with anxiety, Spencer drowned out the sounds of what sounded like American Idol and buried her head into a pillow.

She _did _know where the girl lived.

If she just walked up and down her street everyday until they crossed paths, it'd be totally fine. Not creepy at all.

Following her theory, "if I don't even buy what I'm selling, it's definitely not believable," Spencer quickly discarded that idea…for the time being.

* * *

When the phone rang, she briefly believed it to be Ashley calling her up.

When she realized Ashley did not, in fact, have her number, she slumped back onto the couch.

After listening to her answer machine greeting, which reminded her that she should probably change it to something that didn't make her sound like a freak, she heard Aiden's pleading voice.

"Heyy Spence. It's probably best I got your voicemail as opposed to speaking to you directly, but I _really_ need you to accept this favor I have to ask of you. I have a date tonight. You may be wondering why I chose to tell you this. Well…it's a double date and you're going with me…I'll pick you up at seven! Don't kill me. Okay, bye!"

He hung up quickly, clearly knowing her well enough that if she was home, it would be at that point in his message that she'd be running to the phone to verbally slaughter him.

Not only was this about the last point in time in which she would want to be going on a date, but also the mixture of a blind date and double date were bound to be disastrous.

If it was a 'favor to ask' of her, why were there no questions posed in the entire message? He only allowed her the illusion that she had a choice in the matter.

She loved that boy, but he would pay.

Aiden showed up at her house at 6:30.

His explanation: "I don't trust your fashion judgment enough. We've got to impress."

Her response: "You're a dick," accompanied with a slight punch to his arm.

After they had chosen her outfit (Spencer now thoroughly convinced Aiden was gay), they went to go pick up their dates.

Her date was actually quite pretty, she acknowledged, but she was horrified when she realized her mental appraisal of the girl included the phrase, "but she's no Ashley."

Determined to forget Ashley for at least this night, she followed the three ahead of her and entered the restaurant.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Spencer hesitantly nodded her head when Aiden subtly whispered, "See… This isn't so bad," to her as their table was being cleared by a waitress. Shockingly, she wasn't lying. Aiden had said nothing stupid, there were few awkward silences, and her date, Allie, was actually fairly cool. She could even see why Aiden was trying so hard to impress his date, Chloe.

This is what led Spencer to the belief that she'd survive the night without being overwhelmed by thoughts of Ashley.

Yes, the development of said belief did require thinking about Ashley, but not _that_ much. She was doing just fine.

The group piled into Aiden's Mazda and headed to the movie theater. They had settled on seeing 'Shutter Island.' It was supposed to be scary and Spencer had no problem with that.

Feeling confident in her new found freedom after staying cooped up in her home for over a week (the fact that it was the same amount of time since she had seen Ashley was totally irrelevant), Spencer rested her hand on the small of Allie's back and led the other three to the ticket booth.

What she had not anticipated was a familiar, slightly raspy voice calling from behind her in confusion." Spencer?"

Ignoring the chill she got from hearing Ashley say her name, Spencer half spun around in shock and greeted, "Ashley! Hi! Fancy seeing you here." She then mentally scolded herself for using just about the lamest phrase ever.

Surprisingly though, Ashley just gave her a kind smile and became much more focused on the people Spencer was with…Allie more specifically…Spencer's hand resting on Allie's back even _more_ specifically.

She surveyed the entire group curiously, taking in Aiden hand in hand with Chloe and Allie obliviously leaning close to Spencer like she was expecting to be introduced.

This allowed Spencer a moment to see (investigate) the company Ashley had. It was a man.

He was hot. In a way that made Spencer irrationally angry.

Or maybe it was the tight grip he had on Ashley's waist causing her anger.

Either way, she was angry.

Before Spencer could get a handle on her irritation, Aiden had already prompted the introductions. Gaining her focus for just the tail end, she heard, "…and this is my fiancé, Kyle."

Terrific.

She was both uncomfortable about her impromptu reunion with Ashley, that this was the way Ashley was to learn that Spencer was into women, and uncomfortable with how perfect Ashley and Kyle were together. They were gorgeous.

It was in that moment that she decided that spacing out like that was truly the worst possible thing to do in such a situation…because before she could even begin to form words to take back his offer, Aiden enthusiastically asked the inhumanely beautiful couple, "Hey, Why don't you two sit with us for the movie since you're seeing the same one?"

Kyle exclaimed, "We'd love to," with just as much enthusiasm.

Mostly everyone seemed to love the idea. Spencer just felt sick.

Ashley, though, seemed slightly overwhelmed.

It was almost funny how Aiden was under the impression that Ashley was a good friend of hers, rather than a random person who happened to come to her rescue one afternoon, now forced to watch a movie with Spencer and people she knows even less.

She cringed at the thought of how awkward Ashley probably was being obligated to sit with them.

As the unlikely cluster of strangers chose their seats, Spencer suddenly shyly asked, "Hey, Ashley. Can I talk to you for a second," and nodded her head toward the foyer. This took a surprising amount of courage, but she knew it would be best to get this out of the way. Ashley's equally timid smile and nod gave her more encouragement.

When they exited the room, the sounded of unnecessarily loud previews was suddenly dulled.

Before she lost this courage completely, Spencer began to speak.

"Um. I'm sorry I didn't get to calling you yet…totally was gonna, but more importantly…regarding the fact that I'm currently here on a date…with a girl…I'm gay. So, I'm hoping that's not going to be a problem for you."

She rushed this statement out as if the words were a bitter taste in her mouth. She was feeling slightly ashamed of how her tone ended up sounding more desperate than menacing.

On the rare occasion in which she felt it necessary to speak to a new friend about whether her sexuality was a problem for them, Spencer was unapologetic and self-assured.

With Ashley, she sounded defeated and disappointed, expecting the worse.

When she dared a peak at Ashley (she had, for the most part, been staring at her shoes), she was stunned to find her smiling softly at her.

"Spencer. That's **completely** okay by me. Not that you need my permission or anything," she added, sounding a little panicky, "I mean. I'm sorry you even had to ask that….What I do have a problem with, though, is your speaking ability. It's _too_ good… almost eerie." She finished her speech with a smirk.

Spencer, awe struck by Ashley's continual proof of flawlessness, could do nothing but return the smile. She had managed to say something thoughtful to her and mock her all in one statement.

Impressive.

At the faint sound of the previews fading out, both became aware that the movie would be starting at any moment.

Spencer decided watching Ashley for approximately two hours would be much more enjoyable.

She chose not to voice this opinion as they located their seats.

She was also pleased to find that the only seat available in their row was next to Ashley.

* * *

Ashley was right.

Kyle did like to talk during movies.

Spencer, more amused than annoyed, listened as Kyle declared not so quietly to Ashley,

"This is sick, right? How do you think it'll end?"

He had been asking various versions of this same question for the whole first half of the movie as well.

Ashley's peeved response was "Shhh. I. Don't. Know."

Snickering to herself, Spencer slowly slouched down a bit further into her seat, moving closer to Ashley. Mostly so she could smell Ashley's vanilla perfume, but also so she could whisper something into her ear.

"Pst... How 'bout next time you put a muzzle on your bitch."

Now calling the girl's fiancée a bitch was probably not wise, but Spencer's kept her tone lighthearted.

She did not expect, but delighted in, the loud snort Ashley released as she tried to hold in her laughter. She failed to contain her amusement.

Spencer chuckled along; just loving the way Ashley sounded when she laughed.

Both girls were momentarily silenced by Aiden's irritated, "C'mon guys. Sh."

However, when Ashley began to whisper in Spencer's ear alternative, completely ridiculous lines for what were supposed to be the most suspenseful parts of the movie, Spencer was not responsible for the reactions this caused.

Giggling like children, the two slouched further and further into their seats until they were so close, Spencer could completely see the features of Ashley's face. Every smile sent her way sent her further from reality.

So, when the credits began to roll, she was startled.

Spencer was startled because she spent the entire movie looking at the girl on her left when she was on a date with the girl on her right.

Slowly, she turned to look at Allie, hoping she hadn't noticed the lack of attention.

Unfortunately, she had.

At Spencer's apologetic appearance, she simply shrugged in understanding.

Spencer had never felt so glad to have felt a mutual lack of a connection.

There was no spark.

When they finally exited the theater and entered the night, Ashley and Kyle said a quick goodbye to the four and began to walk to their car. Spencer's eyes followed them, even as Aiden, Allie, and Chloe got into Aiden's car.

When Ashley quickly turned around, Spencer considered looking away and pretending she hadn't been staring, but instead grinned happily. It had been a good evening.

"How about you actually call me this time," Ashley hollered teasingly as she started to get into her car.

"I don't know…I'm _pretty_ busy," was her cheeky response.

They exchanged no more words, both knowing she was going to call.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**//Thanks again for the support! Sorry it has been such a long time since I've updated//**

Spencer spent many hours building up the courage to call Ashley. It had been two days since she ran into Ashley and whatever his name was.

These hours consisted of a lot of unhealthy eating, soap opera watching, and obnoxious singing.

A notepad was haphazardly resting upon the floor in front her, full of nearly illegible lines that she came up with to use, but then were immediately crossed out.

Finally, when she came to the conclusion that planning out a phone conversation was idiotic, she quickly dialed the number she had already memorized before she was able to change her mind.

At the first ring, she nearly hung up.

It was the soft, raspy voice on the other line, a voice even huskier than normal, masked with sleep and stating a confused; "Mm…Hello?" ...that's what froze her in her place.

"Heyy, Ashley. It's Spencer," she finally managed to utter.

"Spencer?" Her name coming from the girls lips alone made Spencer certain the call was worth it. "Do you realize what time it is right now?"

When Spencer sneaked a glance at her watch, she began to question again whether or not the call was, in fact, worth it.

"I called you at two AM. I am _the worst_," she stated, cringing. "I'm _so _sorry. Go back to bed."

The singular thought it her head at that moment: **Kill me. Just kill me now, please. **

"Wait, Spencer, wait…Now you've already woken me up. We might as well talk."

Her voice wasn't so much irritated as it was teasing.

"Yeah…well… I didn't really have anything to say," Spencer finished embarrassedly.

Both were momentarily silent.

Spencer figured Ashley had either, A.) Hung up on the crazy person she (finally) realized Spencer to be or B.) Fallen back asleep because it was the freaking middle of the night.

Neither option was exactly _ideal._

Before she could hang up, Ashley finally offered softly, "Soooo...wanna hang out?"

Taken aback, Spencer stuttered a reply. "Like, right now?"

"Yes"

"It's the middle of the night!"

Her confusion and shock were outweighed by certain giddiness at the idea.

"Hm," Ashley started in a contemplative tone, "who called who, again?"

Before Spencer could reply, she continued, "Let's go for a walk!"

"It's dark…and _probably _chilly out."

"Being able to see is overrated…and we'll _probably_ wear clothes," Ashley retorted mischievously.

Spencer couldn't help but focus on what a shame the latter of the two was.

"You're insane," she finally stammered.

"Is that a yes?"

"That's an _absolutely_. Where should we meet?"

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

At a gas station somewhere between where the two lived, Spencer and Ashley met up.

Getting out of her car, Spencer stared appreciatively at Ashley who was getting out of her own car. She continued to stare until their eyes met and she internally warned herself to behave.

Overwhelming pleased by the current situation, Spencer moved fast toward the beauty before her. "Hey," she offered, coolly, pretending she wasn't extremely excited.

When Ashley offered her a dazzling smile in reply, though, Spencer doubted this "cool" facade would hold for long.

"Shall we?" Ashley said, nodding her head in the direction of the road.

Spencer nodded eagerly. And _that's_ how long it took before she stopped being cool.

The further they got from the light of the gas station they had left their cars at, the harder it became to see.

"Scared of the dark?" Ashley asked, breaking their silence. She must have noted her growing, unease.

"Yes," Spencer stated simply.

"Want some gummy worms?"

She pulled the bag of worms out from the pocket of her hoodie, holding it out to Spencer.

"Yes," Spencer stated, the smile evident in her voice.

Apparently the offering of candy is a good icebreaker because after that, the two began to talk effortlessly.

Their walking never faltered, using streetlights they'd finally reached and their cell phones to guide them along.

"Well I've never done this before," Spencer laughed out.

"Done what?"

"Gone for a walk in the middle of the night while eating gummy worms," Spencer supplied.

"Admit it, you love it."

And she did.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

At some point, realizing the time, they turned to walk back and by the time they reached the gas station, the sun was rising.

"Well, this was fun," Ashley said, happily but clearly tired out from a lack of sleep.

Yawning, Spencer nodded.

Despite not having slept at all, she was profoundly content.

Not wanting to leave, Spencer pulled a confused Ashley to her car. She quickly grabbed blanket out of the back of the car and started to climb up onto the roof of said car.

"We're going to watch the sunrise," Spencer explained, simply.

She was pleasantly surprised to hear no complaints from Ashley.

Instead she climbed up after her and sat beside her, obediently.

Spencer pulled the blanket over her lap and then rested it over Ashley's as well.

The response she received was a gracious, tired smile.

Snuggling slightly closer to Spencer's side, staring in awe at the remarkable sunrise before her, Ashley whispered, "I love this."

Spencer nodded, her eyes unknowingly focused on the girl beside her.

"Yeah....me too."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sorry it's been so very long since I've updated this story- I kind of lost all inspiration. However, summer vacation has given me the time so I'm takin' it :] Thank you again to those who actually read this. If you get the chance, check out the song that is featured in this chapter (Fountain by Sara Lov) because it sure is a nice one. ;]**_

/

"**Fountain, fountain. We are the same. You with the water, and me with the pain**, " Spencer wailed along to Sara Lov's, "Fountain", missing the pained expression upon her cat, Mikal's face.

She had been blasting the melancholy song over and over again for at least an hour, lounging on her couch and eating oh, so much junk. It simply was not pretty.

"**Don't you wish you could throw your pennies back at them?**" Spencer's voice was not quite on key and not quite at an appropriate volume. Her neighbor was expected to complain at any moment, a middle aged man whose tolerance for noise was not ideal.

Mikal was not the only one who had to suffer through her renditions of songs, as her neighbor had banged on the wall several times in the past in order to silence her.

I don't think anyone was disappointed when the phone began to ring and Spencer's song came to a halt.

She contemplated getting up to answer, but ultimately decided that there was no one she would want to be talking to at the moment.

After her own voice went through the generic "Leave me a message and I'll get back to you," Aiden's impatient voice entered the room,  
thankfully not telling her that she was about to be a part of another double date.

"Hey Spence, I heard about what happened and I'm really sorry. There will be other jobs though. I know you were excited for this, but it'll be okay...which is why you and I are going out tonight and-"

Spencer was across the room and speaking into the phone remarkably fast. Her stubbornness outweighed her laziness.

"No, no, no, no," she interrupted, " Not tonight Aiden- just let me mourn [she was certain he had rolled his eyes at that] tonight and then tomorrow I can get over it."

"I can't even believe you didn't pick up the phone once you knew it was me," he whined.

"I...was...in the...shower," she tried lamely, but it came out more as a question than a fact.

"Mhmm. Whatever. Listen, be a girl and pig out on your couch-"

"That's NOT what I was doing," she argued hurriedly, clearly lying.

Spencer had a problem with accepting that he knew her all too well.

"Right then," he complied, "but tomorrow you're going to get back on that proverbial horse and take some pictures and do your job."

"I was just really looking forward to working with Lucas," she admitted sadly, finally voicing her disappointment.

"I know it." Aiden's voice has changed from stern to soft and comforting.

Lucas was an acclaimed photographer who had asked Spencer to work with him on a project. He hadn't even filled her in on the details of said project, but she had gotten her hopes up and they were crushed. He called earlier that day, giving her a legitimate excuse for why he was backing out on the plan, but she still felt betrayed.

After Spencer's conversation with Aiden had ended, she was feeling slightly better. _Who needs Lucas?_...is what her inner mantra became.

However, when her Mom (AKA Mrs. Carlin) called up overly concerned and overwhelming, the comforting words she had to give had a reverse effect.

"Mom! I'm really fine, " Spencer finally broke into her rant about 'being the best you can be.' -She was not certain how she got onto that topic, but to be fair she had been ignoring the woman for a while. "I mean, yeah, I am disappointed, but I'll get over it and it's not even a huge deal."

When that phone call was finally over, Spencer was relieved. Her relief was premature because Aiden called twice in a half hour just to check it.

He was a sweetheart and all, but it was borderline harassment.

So when her cell phone rang, Spencer didn't even bother to check the caller ID, waiting for Aiden's concerned voice. Before he could have the chance to speak she quickly sighed out, "You're sweet and all, but this is seriously getting obnoxious. Stop calling me!"

Her jaw dropped when the voice on the other line was revealed to be a husky female's chuckle rather than an annoying males...annoyingness.

"Aw shucks, you're gonna make me blush," Ashley gushed sarcastically.

"Ashley! I'm SO sorry. I thought you were Aiden!"

"I figured maybe you had already gotten sick of me, " she teased, letting Spencer know that she was not offended.

"Hm, not in the least bit," Spencer promised, suddenly quite chipper.

"Good, good...Alright, well, I _was _going to see what you were up to, but after that verbal assault, I'm not sure I even care."

"_So_ dramatic!" Ashley's only response was an exaggerated gasp. "Yeah, you heard me."

"See if I ever call you again! In fact, I don't ever want to hear your voice or see you again, got that?" Ashley's fake angry voice was actually menacing enough for Spencer to make a mental note not to make her actually angry. She also noted that angry Ashley was still somehow adorable, but this note was discarded instantly.

"Soooo...wanna hang out tomorrow?," Spencer asked as if Ashley's rant had no bearing whatsoever.

"Sure," Ashley replied without missing a beat, her voice back to its usual friendliness.

Spencer giggled (which she herself found horrifying) at how absurd the other girl was. "Well... I was _actually_ just asking that to prove that, despite your claims, you would jump at the chance to see or speak to me again," she explained.

"Oh..." Ashley said thoughtfully, "...Do you wanna hang out tomorrow?"

"Sure," Spencer replied happily.

"You_ know_ I was just asking you to prove that you're obsessed with me, right?" Ashley joked after they had already spent five minutes planning what they were doing the next day ( they would be going on a picnic- both were _quite_ eager about this).

"Ashley?" Spencer asked slowly, voice serious.

"Yes, Spencer?"

"Want to hang out tomorrow?"

"Goodnight Spencer."

"Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow!"

She only hung up when Ashley's soft laughter was cut off.


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, so, Spencer's thoughts are now just going to be in_ italics_ because...i'm just lazy and sick of saying. "Spencer thought..." Also, text messages are going to be in **bold** :] Thanks.

When Spencer woke up at 8 AM to her alarm blaring some god awful Ke$ha song the next morning, she was convinced it was monday. In order to pay for living expenses ( until her photography career became more secure), she had taken up a part time job at a little cafe she'd been a frequent customer of.

She eagerly hopped out of bed and started her work out with the realization that she actually was up to go on a picnic with Ashley, rather than serve coffee to impatient and groggy customers.

Thinking about their conversation the night before and the day ahead made her grin uncontrollably.

Ashley had insisted that she would provide all food and beverages for their picnic...well what she ACTUALLY said was more like, " Oh...and do NOT bring anything. I got all the food and such covered. You're job will be too bring that stereotypical red and white checkered blanket. That'll be your contribution. Oh! And I'll even bring a basket!"

Spencer tried her best not to interrupt Ashley from her rant because she found it highly entertaining, but her laughter could stay stifled for only so long. When Ashley finally stopped talking, Spencer was positive the brunette had forgotten what they were even talking about.

Ashley's obvious excitement amplified her own.

Showered, dressed, and nearly ready, Spencer momentarily considered whether or not it would be weird to call Ashley to confirm their plans. She shook her head and smiled at the possibility that this entire picnic escapade was just a ongoing joke.

The major con of texting Ashley instead : Not getting to hear that gravelly voice. However, the blonde opted to text the girl, secretly too nervous to call. **"So, I'll see you at 11:30?"**

Moments later as she folded up a big purple blanket, snickering at her purposeful disobedience of Ashley's orders- her phone buzzed.  
**"Yes :] I'm going to drive right by without stopping if I see you with anything, but a checkered blanket."**

**"Hm. Either settle for purple or find someone else that will picnic with you." **Though that probably wouldn't be very hard. Ashley could walk up to any stranger and ask them and they would be too dazed to deny her.

**"Okay, but you're skating on very thin ice, Carlin."**

Sitting beside Spencer on the steps of her apartment, Mikal meowed adorably, seeking attention. She purred and rubbed her face against Spencer's arm until she finally relented and allowed the cat to curl up in her lap. The blonde cradled the slender black and white cat to her chest, pressing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

As voice startled them both, Spencer's head shot up to view the intruder. She watched the perfect being move towards them, lit up by the sunshine.

"You scared me so bad." Spencer accused scoldingly, but the huge smile she wore gave her away.

"Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes. Am I interrupting something?" At that, she raised her eyebrows suggestively and nodded towards Mikal.

"Sure were. Ashley, I'd like you to meet my feline soul mate: Mikal. Mikal, my human soul mate: Ashley."

...Okay the part about the human soul mate didn't really happen.

Ashley gave her the nose crinkling grin, expressing her amusement. Willing to humor her, she sat down beside the pair and began to pet Mikal.

"Nice to meet you. You guys look really cute together," Ashley said warmly. Spencer blushed like a teenager, having to look down to hide it.

"So, ready to head out?" she finally said, although perfectly content with just sitting on the steps with Ashley and Mikal for however long they'd stay with her.

"But nowww I'm sooo comfortabllle," Ashley whined, giving Spencer an impressive pout.

"Pretty much all you do on a picnic is sit and eat all day. Just come on," Spencer argued...or at least that's what she would have argued if she wasn't pleasantly destracted by that pout and the near golden eyes staring back at her.

Instead, what she said was more along the lines of, " Uhummm...yeah?"

She had to tear her eyes away from Ashley's, it was all too intense. She was overwhelmed by the knowledge that if Ashley kept looking at her like that, she would probably just combust. How embarrassing it would be to spontaneously burst into flame, she mused.

"You okay?" Ashley asked softly, leaning closer and successfully snapping Spencer out of her reverie.  
"Oh..yeah, uhuh!" She jumped to her feet and offered her hand to the brunette, who gladly took it.

A mental scolding was required to maintain composure after Ashley's soft hand slid perfectly into Spencer's, and when her body was pulled up so close they nearly collided.

_Pull yourself together. You are friends. You can handle having girl friends, right? Prove it. Yes, this girl happens to be freakishly beautiful and has a fantastic personality...and her mannerisms are just so adorable and those eyes...STOP!_

She visibly shook her head, as if the movement could permanently knock the thoughts from her head.

No such luck.

"Do you have any siblings," Spencer asked curiously as they climbed inside Ashley's expensive looking car.

"Well, I have a half sister, Kyla. I think you'd like her"

"Cool, cool."

"Yeah. She stays at my apartment pretty often. You should meet her!"

"Sure," Spencer answered slowly, "this isn't a set up, right?"

Ashley laughed loudly and that alone made Spencer glad she asked.

"No, no, no. Of course not."

"Sorry. I've just been made paranoid by Aiden. He thinks because we both like girls that I want to be his wing-man when that is very nearly the last thing I want to do."

Ashley chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"That's cool that you're real close, though , you and Aiden."

"Yeah...we used to date," Spencer admitted in shame.

"What? Really," Ashley looked at her with a mixture of shock and amusement.

"It was a very big mistake. I wish I hadn't brought it up," Spencer wiped a fake tear from her eye before continuing. "No, but it was seriously a disaster. My best friend told me he loved me and I responded by breaking up with him. He got over me, though, and now we're good again."

"That's intense! How do you know he's actually over you?"

"God, because he's okay with being a total tool around me now. It was a while ago and he's dated many girls since then, " Spencer replied, smiling at the thought of Aiden's antics. She really did love that boy.

When they arrived at the park, the sun was shining even brighter- it was an unusually warm day and Spencer wondered if it was just being with Ashley that made the day seem perfect, or even worse, she wondered if the weather responded to Ashley's sunny disposition and give her its best.  
While neither theory seemed possible, Spencer wouldn't put it past her- the girl had super powers.

Spencer accepted her role as the blanket spreader, lying it before them in a small clearing.

"Oooh. Nice choice," Ashley noted, mocking Spencer's meticulous placement choosing.

Spencer replied only with a glare, which Ashley received as if it were a compliment, grinning wildly.

Predictably, Spencer's glare was soon replaced by an equally goofy smile.

_If this is how the whole day is going to go, this really isn't going to work out. My chronic smiling and blushing are without a doubt going to creep her out._

Ashley slowly revealed a wicker basket from behind her, excitedly placing it on the blanket and plopping herself down beside it. She then pulled Spencer down beside her. Spencer, in turn,  
grinned like a fool and attempted to ignore the feeling that this was the most romantic non-date of all time.

After two hours of hilarious people watching (and let's be honest, people scrutinizing), teasing, and discussion on one another's lives, Ashley reminded Spencer of their "feast." -

It was then that Spencer became very frightened- she looked down at her watch and saw the time that had past, genuinely afraid of Ashley's innate ability to make her forget a basic instinctual like hunger. She hadn't eaten yet that day and it took until then to notice. This meant Ashley had the power, if she chose to to use it, to make Spencer laugh and forget life as long as it took her to starve to death.

It was a unsettling and, admittedly creepy thought that she reminded herself not to share with anyone.

In the meantime, Ashley was pulling out the food she had brought.

Spencer had been expecting sandwiches, fruit, and water.

What she saw was a huge pile of different types of candy bars, two sandwiches, and two one liter bottles of Birch Beer.

Laying out before her was the most appealing, adorable [somehow] meal she'd ever seen.

"Oh my god!" ...Was really all she could say.

"You're thinking it's stupid," Ashley said dejectedly, looking down.

Spencer giggled [that needed to stop]. "No. I'm thinking you're perfect," she corrected, before she could even stop herself.

Immediately she looked away from Ashley, trying to maintain a normal expression. She was going to act like what she had said wasn't a big deal if it was the last thing she did.

When she finally looked back, Ashley was giving her that nose crinkling smile. She had clearly taken what Spencer said in the non-serious way...or was just really used to being adored, which wouldn't be surprising.

Returning the smile, Spencer bit into a Milky Way, unable to stop resenting a man named Kyle.

The man who Ashley was going to marry.

"This is seriously the meal of my dreams," Spencer admitted shyly.

Ashley modestly dipped her head, handing the blonde her drink before answering even softer, "I had hoped so."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! The fact that you're reading this in general and taking the time to review means a lot to me. I'm going to tear up...no...that's not true...but I do appreciate it :] There was originally a lot more to this chapter, but I decided to split it into two. I'll probably post the next fairly soon!**

"I have a proposal for you," Spencer declared as soon as Ashley picked up the phone.

"Well, I'm kind of already engaged, so you're a _bit_ too late." Ashley joked.

Spencer tried to find the humor in that.

"Cute," she replied sarcastically, though she did find everything that Ashley said quite cute, " but my proposal was more along the lines of -do you want to come to the party slash barbecue thing that my parents are having tomorrow? I know it's late notice and it's totally okay if you have plans...or don't want to go...but I figured all of our times spent together were fairly impromptu so why not continue the tradition...and you can bring Kyle if you want..."

She was proud at how she managed to force the final line, though she couldn't help but drop all enthusiasm at the mention of his name.

Ashley laughed softly and Spencer allowed herself to picture the dazzling smile she more than likely wore as she did so, " You just ramble on and on, huh?"

If she wasn't so busy smiling foolishly, Spencer would have been offended.

"Ouchhh. That wasn't a very warm response to an invitation."

Clearly thinking that Spencer was in some way actually offended she corrected herself. "Not what I meant, I'm sorry...Of course I'd like to go tomorrow. Unfortunately, Kyle's out of town so it'll just be me."

"I wasn't really offended," Spencer finally clarified, "I just wanted to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Sadist," Ashley mumbled through a fake coughing fit, "I look forward to seeing you." Her voice changed from mocking to genuine without a moment's notice.

"Did I say _I_ was going? I've got plans, but...have fun with my parents," Spencer clarified.

After giving the brunette the address of her parent's home and the lame message of "bring nothing, but your appetite" that her parents made her pass on, the two hung up.

That night basically consisted of convincing herself that trying to win Ashley's heart (which she hadn't realized she was trying to do until approximately 2AM) would simply be detrimental to all parties involved.

No good would come from pursuing the brunette- she was getting married to Kyle and she was too awesome to lose as a friend.

So, when she woke up the following morning, she was fully prepared to be "the friend."

She allowed herself to just relax and look forward to the party.

She arrived at her old home early to help set up or prepare food with her parents. When she entered the house, the first thing she saw was Clay, Chelsea, Glen, and surprisingly enough, Aiden all sitting on the couch lazily.

"It doesn't count as coming early to help out if you just come early to lounge," Spencer informed them sternly.

"Oh hush, sister," Glen said tiredly, "You're a fun ruiner."

She simply smacked him in the back of the head and went to join her father in the kitchen.

After what seemed like way too much later, guests were arriving and Spencer was pleased that the weather was being especially agreeable for them.

Since the whole neighborhood, many friends, and a few relatives were invited, the yard was slightly crowed.

Spencer just hoped she'd be able to spot Ashley when she got there.

Only moments later, Glen emerged from a pack of people, pulling an uncomfortable, but still completely stunning Ashley along with him.

She was wearing a sundress and Spencer nearly died. She literally couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Hey fun ruiner," he announced, gaining her attention, "look who I found."

"Hey Ash!" Spencer welcomed pleasantly, but as she did this, she took a step towards Glen.

After seeing that he still had a hand wrapped around Ashley's forearm, Spencer quickly grabbed said hand, pull him towards her, and twisted his arm around his back expertly.

Even as he writhed in pain and annoyance, she ignored his attempts to escape. Instead, she remained passive, even friendly as she exchanged pleasantries with the now highly amused brunette before her.

Finally turning her attention to her brother she whispered jokingly to him, "You'd think you'd have learned by now."

"I give up!" He pleaded sourly, "just let me go...and... how are you this strong?"

At this, she let him go, patting him on the back good-naturedly and trying to be a good sport about it, though he was always either a sore loser or an arrogant winner.

He stomped off without another word, probably to go tell on her.

She finally looked back to Ashley, having forgotten she had witnessed the childish exchange, but was pleased to see that Ashley was bent over in uncontrollable laughter.

"What?" Spencer asked smiling, confused as to what was so funny, but unable to not smile when Ashley was looking so happy.

"That was _pretty_ bad ass. I've never seen a guy get his ass handed to him by his sister."

Spencer just laughed along, more than glad that she had entertained the girl.

"Should I be scared of you?" Ashley asked, narrowing her eyebrows at the blonde.

"Are you planning on giving me any sass?" Spencer fired back.

"I wouldn't dream of it" Ashley exclaimed looking appalled, "...fun ruiner."

Spencer gasped and before she could even think of a retort, Ashley was running off towards Aiden and company, still giggling.

When she caught up with the group, Ashley was being introduced to Chelsea. Chelsea asked how Spencer and Ashley had met and they smirked at one another, before sharing the story of their first encounter.

Neither noticed that through the entire story, the were finishing one another's sentences,

"So basically, she's my hero and I owe my life to her...but in reality I only ever hang out with her 'cause I feel like I owe her that. She hasn't got any real friends."

Spencer's conclusion to the story didn't seem to please Ashley who scoffed loudly. She pouted when Spencer refused to retract the statement, pinching her side in revenge.

The blonde squealed and jumped back from Ashley. "No, no, nooo. **Not** going to happen. I'm wayyyy too ticklish for that."

Despite the argument, Ashley realized the powerful position she was in and just couldn't pass that up. As she moved closer to Spencer, her eyes were mischievous and determined, so naturally Spencer started to run in the opposite direction.

Apparently Ashley was a mutant or on track in high school or something, because she caught up in moments and spun Spencer around to face her. The blonde tried to mentally prepare herself for the torture.

Ashley tickled Spencer's sides for merely seconds before dropping her hands to her sides and giving her a huge smile.

"It's called mercy. Next time I won't be so generous."

The final line was said with a wink and Spencer immediately recalled those as the words Ashley used before getting soaked by a water gun on her behalf.

"Based on past experience, I think you will," Spencer corrected conspiratorially, still very pleased with the image of Ashley winking at her.

"Whatever," Ashley dismissed, "but you've really got to work on not revealing your weaknesses like people aren't going to take advantage of that. You're like, 'I'm Superman. Here you go, you see this kryptonite, don't you use it on _me_, mister...'cause it's the only thing that can kill me.' "

"Soooo...are you saying that I'm Superman?"

"Basically," Ashley replied sighing with a defeated smile.

Spencer was terrified to find that while she was thankful that Ashley chose not to torture her as just about everybody else did when she revealed how ticklish she was, she still was a little bit dissapointed that Ashley's hands weren't on her for longer.

Definitely **not** a friendly thought.

She decided to make a figurative folder in her mind for all of those unfriendly and Ashley related thoughts-but at the rate she was going, it would soon become a filing cabinet.

"Wanna meet my parents?" Spencer offered hopefully.

Ashley nodded eagerly and Spencer foolishly ignored the alarms in her head when taking Ashley's hand in her own to guide her through the throng of people around them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you so much, guys. I hope you understand how much I really do love to read your reviews and appreciate you.  
**

**'nony'- Your review made me laugh out loud...and yes, I do refer to my friends by their hair color :P No, but in all seriousness , I just got scared I was being repetitive by having their names in every sentence. Sorry for the annoyingness, I'll definitely try to avoid that from now on! :]**

When they reached Mr. and Mrs. C, Spencer smirked knowingly at their polite laughs at a clearly horrible joke told by the next-door neighbor.

Paula's fake grin quickly became genuine when she saw the two and she excused Arthur and herself without any hesitation.

"I mean, we don't want to take you away from your _friends_, mom. This can totally wait if you wanted to finish that lovely conversation," Spencer offered teasingly.

Arthur offered her an amused smile, while Paula shook her head in insincere disapproval, before focusing on a very nervous looking Ashley.

"Mom and Dad, this is my friend, Ashley Davies. Ashley, my parents: Paula and Arthur Carlin."

"It's wonderful to meet you," Ashley rushed out.

She was obviously taken aback by their warm welcome. She went to shake their hands, but they each gave her a hug. She looked to Spencer in confusion, who just grinned at the cuteness.

Caught up in watching Ashley interact with her parents, it took a moment for Spencer to register the voice calling out for her from the front of the house.

"Spencer _Freaking_ Carlin," the voice hollered impatiently, "where is your fine ass?"

Spencer cringed at the lack of censorship and as her parents scolded her with only their expressions, but she was too eager to dwell on it.

She recognized the voices as belonging to her best girl friends, Chloe and Kristen. They were, admittedly gorgeous twin sisters Spencer knew them for so long that they were basically family. Both were lesbians and self proclaimed 'players'. That being said, she viewed them as sisters so the idea of forming a romantic relationship with either made her shudder. They were blunt, outgoing, and Spencer couldn't have adored them more.

Unbelievably delighted to see them after months apart, Spencer moved towards the two as they emerged from behind a group of people. They sprinted her direction and Spencer had to laugh at how ridiculous they looked, pushing past people with looks of complete determination.

And it was just like one of those cliche romance movies where the two lovers run to each other in slow motion and one jumps into the other's arms.

Only, it was a lot more haphazard...and it was more like two fully grown woman hanging awkwardly on another...so really, it was nothing like one of those movies.

Setting them down, but staying close, Spencer eagerly spoke to the twins. "I can't believe you're here! How was Canada? Why didn't you tell me you were coming back this week...or that you were coming to the party?"

They answered her questions easily, despite her quick delivery and the three happily wrapped their arms around each other.

"We fucking missed you," Kristen declared and Chloe nodded vehemently in agreement.

Spencer was used to one of the two speaking for both of them.

When there was a halt in the conversation, Spencer looked around and realized that their loud and enthusiastic reunion had gained the attention of nearly every party-goer, including Ashley.

None of the three had noticed that all of the words they shared, were actually shouted.

Chloe and Kristen simply shrugged, never ones to take public opinion into account.

Feeling awkward having an audience and rude for ditching Ashley in a place where she knew no one else, Spencer moved towards the girl sheepishly.

She pulled Chloe and Kristen along with her, trying to read Ashley's expression.

Ashley looked baffled, curious, and Spencer could have sworn she saw anger. She hoped to herself that she wasn't mad at her for leaving, that she had misread her expressions.

"Ashley," Spencer uttered softly, "these are my good friends, Chloe and Kristen."

She gave them a smile and a timid wave.

"Well, hello there," Kristen offered with a hint of flirtation that only Spencer noticed.

She'd chalk it up to knowing Kristen well, but in reality, she was just super alert when it came to others speaking to Ashley.

"Spen, how do you know this **beauty**?" Kristen's covert flirtation was followed by Chloe's much less subtle response.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Spencer answered in annoyance, trying to keep her tone light.

"She's a friend of mine." Out of those words, she hoped they would focus more on the first one and the last.

She's mine.

"_And_ she's getting **married**," she added, noticing how they continued to stare at Ashley in appreciation.

Spencer swiftly pulled the twins away from the now uncomfortable Ashley with an apologetic, "Excuse us for just a moment."

"Jeez Spen, we're just kidding. We saw how you nearly exploded when I first looked at her so we decided to have a little fun with it, which by the way was _totally_ worth it. Relax girlie, have a lolli." Chloe pulled a giant lollipop from seemingly nowhere, holding it out to Spencer.

Her only response was to laugh loudly at the random gift, instantly forgiving the weirdos.

"Whatever you think you saw, you're so wrong, " she insisted, almost having forgotten that she needed to deny her obvious jealousy.

"Yeah, there's absolutely nothin' between you two," Kristen assured her, voice laced with sarcasm.

Out of nowhere, Chloe kissed Spencer's cheek intimately and wrapped her arm around her waist.

Though they were always extremely affectionate with one another, it was in the best friend type of way, so Spencer in turn, was very confused... until the two nodded their heads to where Ashley was pretending to listen as someone spoke to her, but was watching them closely. When she saw that they had all noticed her, she quickly gave her attention back to the girl she was with, looking slightly flustered.

"She's straight," Spencer explained, voice nervous. "You're seriously way off. She's not uncomfortable with you hanging on me- which by the way, stop. It's kind of creepy. It's **not** 'cause we're having a secret affair or something. Maybe she's still a little uneasy with the whole gay thing."

"_I_ could make her comfortable," Chloe suggested seductively, while Kristen said, "_I'll_ teach her all about the whole gay thing," at the same exact time.

"No. No you won't," Spencer spat out fiercely.

Chloe and Kristen howled with laughter, having gotten their intended response.

Soon Spencer, Ashley, Clay, Chelsea, Aiden, Glen , Chloe, and Kristen were isolated from the rest of the party, sitting in a small circle. A few were in lawn chairs, but most were sitting in the grass.

"So you guys seem close," Ashley noted. Fittingly, Spencer, Chloe, and Kristen were smooshed together, nearly sitting on one another.

Spencer chuckled at the play on words.

"They don't believe in personal space," she explained.

"We _are_ close," Kristen confirmed proudly with a crooked grin, disregarding Spencer's words.

"Never as close as you would have liked, though, huh Kris?" Chloe pointed out, snickering softly at the glares she received from both Kristen and Spencer.

"Whatever... you and I both know that I wasn't the _only_ one to try to get in her pants."

Spencer groaned, hiding her head in her hands, but her discomfort was ignored.

Her embarrassment worsened when Chloe turned her attention to Ashley, filling her in.

"You see, our Spencer here is a total heart breaker. Except not really...we tried so hard to hook up with this girl-separately of course-"

"Ew," Kristen added.

"-But she would have none of that. She's one of those poetry reading, hopeless romantic types."

The twins shared an amused glance and pretended to gag, while Spencer blushed profusely and begged them to stop.

"Really? Do you hate me this much that you have to be talking about this right now?"

She was glad no one else was listening to this topic of conversation. Glen and Clay would probably be in more pain than she was.

"You should be _flattered_," Kristen accused in amusement, pulling Spencer's hands from her face, "We're just telling Ashley here how SPENCER CARLIN IS A TOTAL BABE."

She raised her voice towards the end, momentarily gaining the attention of the rest of the group as Spencer sighed uncomfortably.

"I honestly hate you," she told them meekly, but they were too busy laughing to hear.

"I think that's adorable," Ashley declared kindly, placing a reassuring hand on Spencer's knee.

She only blushed harder.

"Okay. I'm a romantic, true love seeking, poetry reading freak. Let's wrap it up," Spencer confirmed, smiling slightly.

"In conclusion, we're basically opposites," Kristen replied happily.

"Then how are you guys even friends?" Ashley questioned curiously.

"Everybody flocked towards Spen 'cause- I mean, look at her...but when she became the first girl to turn either of us down and the way she went about it...that's how we knew she was both high-larious and a force to be reckoned with. She definitely wasn't polite...she was quite brutal, in fact, when she declined my offer. I believe the words, 'Easy,' and 'Slut,' were involved. Kristen received similar response."

"She told me I was pathetic," Kristen added, laughing.

"I calls 'em how I sees 'em," Spencer joked good naturedly.

"She's one a million," Chloe said, attempting to adopt the voice of a proud mother as she pet Spencer's head affectionately.

"I believe it," Ashley replied gently, receiving a bashful smile from Spencer.

Turning to the twins, Spencer pleaded, "Please, can this conversation about me be over?"

"We were just gettin' started," Chloe exclaimed, but shook her head to show that she was joking.

Later on, while the party had mostly died down, they all remained where they were, sharing laughs beneath the light of several tiki torches Glen had set up earlier on in the day.

All had abandoned their chairs and were lounging in the grass comfortably.

Spencer was pleased that Ashley and she had ended up having their own private conversation, laughing obnoxiously at jokes only they found funny. Spencer, having seen Ashley shiver, jumped up and murmured,"I'll be right back."

"I'll keep her company," Kristen offered sweetly.

When she returned, a light jacket in her hand, she watched as Ashley threw her head back and laughed at something Chelsea said.

Spencer swooned and tripped a little bit, stubbing her toe.

She limped over, cursing, but waved off the concerned voices of her friends.

When she reached Ashley, she dropped the jacket on her shoulder, and sat down beside her.

"You shivered," Spencer explained in response to Ashley's perplexed look.

"Soooo, if I close my eyes right now, will you get me a bed?" Ashley teased, but then gave her a charming, quirky smile followed by a shy, "Thank you."

Their solitude was soon broken by Kristen plopping down onto Spencer's lap without warning.

"So, I've heard about how you knew Spencer was going to be your best friend, but Spencer, how did you know Chloe and Kristen would be yours?"

Thinking back with a fond smile, Spencer answered slowly.

"I turned them down _prett_y rudely, but they were completely unfazed and then they just walked up to me and asked me if I preferred Milky Ways or Snickers."

Ashley giggles at the story, before asking, "And you said..."

"Charleston Chews, obviously."

Ashley's eyes lit up. "Spot on! That vanilla stuff on the inside is to die..or _kill_ for."

"I know right! I'd like to swim in a pool of that shit."

"Mmmm. Let's see if we can work that out somehow."

After their enthusiastic exchange, Chloe looked between them and stated rather matter of factly, "You two are weird." Then she was up and joining her sister a couple feet away.

The two continued as if not interrupted.

"Oooh, you know what we should do?" Ashley asked excitedly.

"What?"

"Buy one of those Kiddie Pool things and somehow fill it with something like-"

"Birch Beer," Spencer offered.

"Birch Beer, sure! Then we would just lay it in and drink it."

"Hmm. That seems kind of gross."

"Yeah...bad idea."

They laughed at the awful plan, before going on to discuss childhood memories, bad reality shows, and the weirdest dreams they've had.

Later that night, Spencer would reflect on all of these moments and how content she was. She'd focus on how Ashley made her smile so much her mouth hurt. How she could barely make out Ashley's face as they said their goodbyes beside Ashley's car, but how she still found her captivating. Their giggling as they tried to make it to her car without a flashlight and their hilarious attempts to unlock the car when they realized they were using her house key instead.

But most of all, she thought of how Ashley fumbled to find her hand in the dark and pulled her into a warm hug after she had told her to drive safe.

Hours later, she layed and bed and she still hadn't recovered from it. She had remained dazed and quiet, much to the suspicion of her family.

Ashley's hug had somehow given her chills _and_ set her on fire... inside **and** out. Not to mention, she was certain her heart was going to give out, being that close to her.

It was clear to her what this meant, what Ashley Davies did to her.

What wasn't clear... was how such exhilarating, and terrifying chemistry could be one sided.

_Falling in love isn't fun when it's hopeless, _she concluded.


	12. Chapter 12

**/So...I have not given up this story. I hope you haven't either. I'm sorry about the wait and how short this is, I've been really busy with life :] Thank you again for your support. **/

"Wait so, you ran all the way home from there?" Ashley laughed out in amusement.

They were sitting at her dining room table and Spencer had just finished telling her the story of when she and Aiden decided they would steal something from the supermarket because neither had stolen before.

They wanted to be adventurous...  
One look from a young employee and they were out the door, sprinting to safety.

"In my defense, that guy was onto us," Spencer claimed, watching the other girl closely...simply because looking anywhere else would be a waste.

"I'm sure," Ashley responded disbelievingly, "even though you hadn't even touched anything in the store yet. Also, why a supermarket? What, were you gonna steal an apple?"

"I'm not liking your tone. See if I tell you an embarrassing story again. Besides, I'm not even going to apologize for being bad at stealing. That's a good thing...you thief."

Ashley rolled her eyes and chuckled, "I've never stole anything either, _Spencer_. I just know that if I did I'd be a thousand times better at it than you."

Spencer's name was said in a insincere scolding tone and she wanted to laugh.

Instead, she responded with her own eye roll and flicked Ashley's arm like a child.

Ashley gave her a disapproving glare, but when a smile began to form and she could no longer hold it back, the fake fight was over.

Spencer pinched her cheek affectionately and they both broke out into matching, ridiculous grins.

"Hey, Spencer?" Ashley asked, suddenly timid.

"Mhm?" Spencer asked, slightly worried.

Was this the time that Ashley would realize how she'd rather be spending time with other people...ones that weren't obsessed with her?

"You sound scared," Ashley breathed out a surprised laugh, but Spencer waved off Ashley's words and urged her to continue.

"I was just going to ask you what you thought of Kyle."

Spencer, at that point, wished to be anywhere else. Lying didn't come easy to her, but the truth wasn't exactly ideal.

"He seems great!" She insisted almost too enthusiastically, "I mean, I didn't really ever get much of a chance to talk to him, but he was really sweet...and easy to look at," she added, surprised at her acting skills.

Ashley's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before she began to smirk. "Should I be jealous?" She teased.

_No, but neither should I._

Spencer flicked her again, this time on the forehead. "I just know a hottie when I see one," she retorted nonchalantly.

"Is that so?" Ashley inquired, humoring her.

Without thinking, Spencer said something stupid. Something she'd regret immediately, though she meant every word

"Yeah, I mean, you for example. When I met you, you were wearing pajamas, but you still looked like some goddess or something, which is just ridiculous. You're _stunning_."

It was like she lost control of both her brain and her mouth.

When she finished her rant, she cringed and looked away, mentally stabbing herself with the sharpest of objects.

It would have been so bad, even funny, if her words weren't spoken with such sincerity. There was no way to take what she said any other way than, "You're really attractive to me."

The silence afterward was painful. Spencer didn't dare to look at Ashley, refusing to view the mess she caused.

"Spence," Ashley whispered softly, "thank you. That's sweet of you to say."

Spencer was shocked

1.) Because Ashley was somehow still unaware or disbelieving of her gorgeousness.  
2.) Because Ashley was touched, rather than creeped out by her words.  
3.) Because when she looked up in surprise, Ashley was blushing and much closer to her than she was before.

"Uhh, yeah, sure," she stuttered out, incapable of being witty or intelligent, being as close as she was to Ashley.

"You're one to talk, though. You say that like you don't realize how ridiculously good-looking you are. I mean, check out those eyes, they're like...captivating ," Ashley replied, no longer blushing and suddenly super confident.

After gaping for a few moments, blushing profusely, and stuttering a bit, Spencer could finally form words.

"Alright enough of this ego stroking," she blurted out to escape from the seriousness, "you aren't at all attractive and I'm a cow."

Ashley snorted, caught off guard, and nodded in agreement through her fit of laughter.

"In all seriousness though, I want you to like Kyle. I want my new bestie and my guy to get along," Ashley said, adopting an obnoxious teen girl voice when she said 'bestie,' but otherwise sounding genuinely hopeful.

Spencer wasn't sure if she should be touched that Ashley already considered her such a close friend [and thought she was pretty!] or disheartened at the reality of the situation, that 'bestie' was really the best she could hope for.

The latter of the two prevailed and she felt like she'd been punched in the gut.

Taking a deep breath before responding, Spencer offered Ashley a small smile and assured her, " I'm sure I'll love him if you do."

"Great! So this Friday, you'll come to dinner with us! I can't wait," Ashley declared.

**Excellent.**

Nothing says TGIF like a dinner date with _your _dream girl and _her_ dream boy.


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm aware of how inconsistent I am. I really am sorry. Life keeps me busy :] I hope you guys forgive me for being so slow! I appreciate that at least _you're_ consistent in your support.**

/

Spencer knew the evening was going to be a disaster when she knocked on Ashley's door and _he_ answered it, looking like a model.

She plastered on a smile as he shook her hand politely and led her into the apartment.

"Good to see you," he told her, and she nearly rolled her eyes. She returned the sentiment and tried to subtly look for Ashley.

"She's in the kitchen," Kyle said, "I'm going out quick just to get some wine for dinner. See you soon."

"Okay, see you," she answered halfheartedly, rushing to the kitchen in eagerness.

She breathed out excitedly as soon as she saw Ashley in a fluorescent yellow apron, setting the table with adorable concentration.

"Hello, sunshine." Spencer offered, grinning as Ashley looked up in surprise and her nose crinkled as it always did when she smiled genuinely.

"Spencer. You're here," she said happily, "did Kyle let you in?"

Annoyed by his name being brought up, she simply nodded.

"You're apron is a work of art," she teased, watching as Ashley looked down at herself with a grin.

"Oh...yeah. It's a bit bright. You don't like it?"

"No, I really, really do," Spencer corrected with a laugh, "I wasn't being sarcastic."

Ashley rewarded her with another enchanting grin and then rushed to the stove to check the food.

"I hope that it's okay that we're just having pasta," Ashley said, beginning to slice a loaf of Italian bread.

"Of course," Spencer replied quickly, and Ashley looked over at her as she continued.

"So how's work going?" Ashley inquired, knife continuing to slice through the bread expertly.

Spencer squirmed and tried not to voice her paranoia, but failed.

"Be careful, Ashley," Spencer pleaded worriedly.

When Ashley just nodded her head in response and stared back at her in confusion.

"No, look at what you're doing!" Spencer demanded, "You're going to cut yourself."

Finally understanding, Ashley laughed in amusement, but obediently brought her attention back to the knife in her hand.

After finishing, Ashley looked up with a smirk.

Spencer had been watching her carefully. Partly to ensure her safety, but mostly because she loved to look at her.

"Fine, Mom..Jeez...I had no idea you cared that much about my well being."

"Oh, I don't. I just wouldn't want to be scarred for life from having to see a severed finger," Spencer joked.

"Ew, yeah...that would be a downer."

Their gaze broke as the front door slammed and Kyle's voice called out boisterously, " I'm home. You ladies ready?"

As they sat down at the table, Spencer focused on how Kyle kept placing his hand on Ashley's shoulder possessively.

She wouldn't mind so much if _all_ of _his_ fingers were severed.

Apparently love...or jealousy makes you slightly morbid. The love songs never mention_ that_ symptom.

"Huh...you're left-handed. I read somewhere left-handers are more likely to be alcoholics **and** die younger" Kyle noted, seriously, breaking an already awkward silence.

"Kyle!" Ashley scolded in shock.

Spence was taking a sip of her wine as he spoke, and was so amused and surprised by such an obviously inappropriate statement, she began to choke.

Ashley was kneeling beside her in a moment, hand on her back, rubbing reassuring. " Are you okay?"

After a moment of coughing, she nodded, still laughing a little bit. " Yeah, I'm okay. I was just caught off guard...went down the wrong pipe."

Ashley glared at Kyle, "What possessed you to say that?"

"Uhh...I don't know...I thought it was interesting." He looked a little bewildered and Spencer almost felt bad for him.

An angry Ashley was as terrifying as she was hot...which was very.

The violent coughing had made her tear up and she watched in awe as Ashley gently wiped away the one tear that had fallen down to her jaw.

This simple touch made her whole body hum with pleasure.

It was over in a moment, though, and before she even gained control over her brain again, Ashley was back in her seat.

None of them spoke and Spencer just stared down at her plate uncomfortably.

She decided she'd rather let Kyle off the hook than deal with this awkwardness any longer.

"You know, it's a good thing I love pasta. You heard the guy," she jabbed her finger good-naturedly toward Kyle, "This could be my last meal."

The smile she received from Ashley was paralyzing. Her eyes were so resplendent and she looked so cute, still wearing her fluorescent apron.

Spencer wished she could frame the image.

Of course... she'd first have to crop out the man in the seat beside her, looking on at the exchange.

"Sorry, Spencer," Kyle said sounding sheepish, but when she looked at him, he wore an irritated expression.

The look was gone in a second though, replaced by a large smile. He grabbed Ashley's hand and intertwined their fingers.

Spencer dropped her gaze back to her plate, but her appetite was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Alright, people, here's the 14th. I hope you like it. Thanks again for reading.**

The next time Spencer saw Ashley, she was pleased to note that Kyle wasn't home.

"Oh, he's at work," Ashley explained, going on to tell Spencer of Kyle's successful career as a lawyer.

Spencer, in turn, feigned interest.

Like most days they hung out, they were lounging on the couch, watching TV and bickering. All the while Spencer was slightly distracted by their closeness, but managed to hide it well...managed to refrain from limiting all space between them.

"Hey. We should go out tomorrow. You, me, Kyle, ohhh and you can bring Kristen and Chloe! How's that sound?"

Ashley was looking at her expectantly.

"It sounds like a really fucked up double date," Spencer answered, hoping the plan would not work out.

Ashley rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh.

"Come on, it'd be fun. Wouldn't it?"

Spencer was unsure if there'd ever be a day that she could willingly disappoint Ashley.

"Sure, sure. I'll give them a call."

To her relief, the twins already had plans. She loved them, but couldn't handle more overt teasing regarding Ashley.

Kristen had answered the phone, but made Spencer wait five minutes before letting her talk because her, "jam just came on the radio."

Finally, she got back on the line and told Spencer all about the concert she and Chloe were going to the next night.

Hanging up quickly, Spencer started to speak.

"Kristen said they couldn't-Ashley?"

She had looked over to the half of the couch Ashley had just been curled up on, but the spot was empty.

"In here," Ashley hollered from the bedroom.

"I was trying to talk to you," Spencer whined.

"I know and I heard you. You can invite Aiden instead," Ashley replied sternly as she reentered the room, jacket and cell phone in hand. "Now, come on."

"Uh...where are we going, Ash?" Spencer was confused.

"We're going for a walk because all we do is sit around and do nothing. Hurry, hurry."

"Glad to know quality time with me is 'nothing' to you," Spencer accused insincerely, trying to prolong her relaxation.

"Spencer Carlin. Get up and get your shoes on."

"Hmm..." Spencer pretended to think, "I'm feeling pretty partial to staying on this couch, sooo-"

Before she continue continue, Ashley was hauling her up to her feet.

Spencer, despite many self- pep talks about what was appropriate to do, stared intently at Ashley's hands that were still wrapped firmly around both of her wrists.

The touch was electric.

The moment she was lost in was swiftly broken, though, as Ashley gave her a militant shove towards the door and ordered her to put her shoes on.

"Do it for meeee," Spencer whined petulantly, gesturing towards her feet.

Ashley gave her a pointed look and so she sat down to put the Converse on with dramatic and purposeful slowness.

"Go to hell," Ashley breathed out, but to Spencer's surprise and delight, she kneeled beside her and began to tie one of her laces and she tied the other.

"Well aren't you just the sweetest," Spencer cooed mockingly, pleased to have gotten her way.

She couldn't resist patting Ashley's head in gratitude.

Ashley pouted and like clockwork, Spencer swooned.

"It was the only way to get it done before I died of old age. You're the slowest person in the universe. Now, let's go before it gets dark out!"

Their momentary silence was broken when they both came to the realization that Ashley didn't even have her shoes on.

Spencer was highly amused by this. Ashley was not.

She rushed to pull her sneakers on, and huffed with frustration.

As an unspoken apology for being so difficult , Spencer made a huge show of tying both of Ashley's laces for her, blushing at the affectionate smile she received for the gesture and from their proximity.

They were walking in a comfortable silence when Spencer thought of a question.

"Who was your first love?," she suddenly blurted out, surprised she didn't know yet.

She had made a habit of trying to learn everything possible about Ashley.

Ashley glanced over before speaking.

"All the interesting stuff about me is going to be gone if I tell it all to you so quickly and openly."

"Nope. You've never been _interesting _to me...or anyone," Spencer said flippantly, "Now tell me."

"It was Kyle. We're high school sweethearts... met junior year. So, yep, Kyle was my first love."

Spenccer was sure that her face held a shocked expression because Ashley laughed at her reaction.

"Who was yours?"

"Wow...I mean, this is super awkward, but my first love...was also Kyle."

Ashley punched her in the arm and told her to get serious, but still laughed.

"Alright, alright. My first love was a girl named Jenny."

"Jenny, huh? What made Jenny so special?" Ashley teased.

Spencer secretly loved it.

"Oh, I dunno. We dated in college for a while, but when I realized I couldn't love her forever, I lost motivation to stay with her. I mean, what was the point?"

Ashley nodded, giving Spencer a sincere smile as she gently guided her around a puddle she hadn't seen.

"Thank you. What would it take to make you want to be with someone forever?"

"For starters, they'd just have to be really, really _interesting_."

She received an eye roll for that comment.

"Just kidding...obviously. It wasn't that I didn't want to be with her forever at the time, it's that I knew she wasn't 'the one'."

"You're certainly not the one night stand type, are you?" Ashley laughed out in amusement.

"Oh, you'd be surprised. See, I'm actually a prostitute."

Naturally, Ashley punched her again, lightly.

"Ow. Stop hitting me." It didn't really hurt at all.

"Only when you stop being stupid," but despite her scolding words, Ashley unconsciously placed a soothing hand on the part of Spencer's arm that she'd just punched.

Then, gasping, Ashley used her free hand to wildly point and gesture to something that was ahead of them.

"Look Spence, a butterfly!"

"Are you five?"

Ashley seemed to takes these words as a compliment, excited smile intact.

Indeed, Spencer soon recognized a little blue butterfly slowly fluttering towards them as they moved through the park.

Ashley shrieked with amused glee when the butterfly reached them and rested upon Spencer's shoulder.

"How did you do that?" Ashley was looking at her in complete awe, but Spencer was equally shocked.

"What? This isn't some party trick of mine... I didn't do shit."

Ashley burst into laughter at her words, which Spencer's could help but be proud of.

"Don't move! You'll scare it away?"

"Jesus, Ash. Calm down. I'm not moving." As bothered as she sounded, Spencer was unbelievably thankful for the little winged insect that was causing Ashley to smile that radiantly.

"Let's take it home!" Apparently, butterflies made Ashley completely convert to her childhood self.

"Absolutely not. You think it'd be happy inside once it's seen how big the world is?"

Ashley shook her head sadly.

"Hey pal, I'm flattered and all," Spencer said craning her neck to look where the butterfly was perched on her shoulder, "but we've got to keep walking. Why don't you find a nice plant to rest on?"

"You're so fucking cute," Ashley gushed beside her, giggling in amusement.

Those words alone suddenly made it one of Spencer's favorite moments ever.

She probably would have let Ashley take the butterfly home if she had asked again after saying that.

Luckily, Ashley was so focused on the butterflies departure, she didn't notice how how flushed Spencer had become.

"I texted Aiden," Spencer told Ashley once they started to walk again, heading back to Ashleys. "He said he's free to hang out tomorrow."

"Great," Ashley replied, still all smiley from their butterfly encounter, "I'm excited."

"You look high," Spencer noted, laughing loudly.

Ashley stopped and took a step toward her, but Spencer quickly held her hands up in surrender and rushed out, "I'm sorry, don't punch me."

Ashley raised her eyebrows in amusement, looking markedly sexy.

"I wasn't going to punch you Spencer. I was gonna hug you."

Surprised, Spencer replied only with a simple, "Why?"

" 'Cause you're like my very own butterfly whisperer," Ashley explained as if it were obvious, wrapping her arms around Spencer's neck snugly so that the words were actually spoken into her ear.

Spencer shivered happily and took advantage of the situation by pulling Ashley as close as she possibly could.

She was experiencing sensory overload and was completely intoxicated by Ashley's presence, but she was very, very pleased.

It was over too soon [ despite being an exceptionally long hug], they walked back, and she went home.

Though her day had been undeniably wonderful, sitting on her couch alone, Spencer felt decidedly and preposterously love sick.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sooooo...it's been a long, long while. I'm sorry. I suck...that's my only excuse. A lack of inspiration and just plain laziness are to blame. Thank you to those who keep sticking with this story, despite my inconsistency. You guys are such dolls ;] Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. I find it rather boring, so it's okay if you do to :P **

Spencer got a phone call the next morning.

It was six AM and she would have murdered whoever it was that woke her at that hour, but then she recognized the sultry voice speaking words she wasn't yet awake enough to register.

Still, she was instantly pleased to be awake.

"Mmm. Ashley. I didn't hear a word you said."

She heard an amused giggle.

"Sorry. I was saying sorry for waking you up so early, but I needed to ask you a favor."

"Mkay," Spencer replied simply, laying back in her bed patiently.

"I know we had plans for tonight to go out, but Kyle's gotta work and I was hoping we could all hang out earlier, like say...noon?"

"Uh, yeah. That's fine with me, I'll check with Aiden...once the sun rises."

Ashley laughed again.

"Yeah...sorry. I don't know why I called so early. I guess I just didn't want to give you such short notice on the plan changes."

"It's okay, Ash, but let's not make a habit of it, eh?" She smiled, wisely anticipating a cheeky response.

"Right, right," she heard Ashley reply with mock thoughtfulness, "' 'cause you'd _never_ call me at an innapropriate hour. Never, ever."

"That's exactly right," Spencer agreed quickly, and they both grinned at the obvious lie.

"I'll see you later," Spencer finally said, ending her sentence with an audible yawn.

"Okay. Go back to bed, sleepyhead," Ashley replied soothingly, and so she did.

When she woke up again it was eight thirty. She was still tired and she had a slight headache, but she quickly dialed Aiden's number.

"Hey, Spence. What's up?" He sounded very lively...probably already at the gym.

"Oh just a change in plans. I would have texted you, but I wasn't sure if you had completely figured out how your new phone worked yet."

She had a problem with not making fun of him.

"I've had this phone for a month, you bitch..and I texted you yesterday!"

"Oh that's_ right_," Spencer said with a smirk, "Okay. We're gonna hang out at noon instead of tonight because Ashley's something has something."

"Her something? You mean, her fiance? Dude, you have it so bad for her. It's kinda pathetic."

Instead of feeling like she'd been found out, she just felt pissed.

"You're an idiot, Aid. Ashley's a good friend. Why would you even say that?"

"Admit it, Spen...you're like obsessed with her."

Spencer scoffed in disbelief and hung up, but not without sending him a nasty text message with many threats and some inappropriate language.

Long used to even her worst of moods, Aiden simply sent her a text that said he'd see her at noon.

Still seething a bit, Spencer showered and purposefully chose a very casual outfit. She had a point to prove to Aiden.

When she walked into the restaurant they were meeting at for lunch, Spencer's eyes searched for a familiar face.

Unfortunately, the first face she saw was Kyle's and when their eyes met, she saw him frown.

This frown, though, was immediately followed by a large smile and he alerted Ashley and Aiden of her arrival.

As she made her way over, Spencer took in the trio situated awkwardly at a table too small even for two people.

She was unable to hold back a smile and had to make a conscious effort to avoid staring at Ashley's dazzling smile that was directed towards her, to first greet Aiden.

Already over Aiden's words from earlier that morning, Spencer patted his head kindly.

"Hey, Brother Bear," she said, and he grinned happily. He loved the weird nickname game.

"Blondie," he said simply, in return.

Ever the gentlemen, he pulled out the seat beside him for her to sit down.

Turning her attention to Kyle who was on Aiden's right, she gave him her best smile.

"Hey Kyle. Hey Ash." She looked back in forth between them, trying not to let her focus linger on the girl she swore to Aiden she was** not** "obsessed with."

Those damn eyes, though. They drew her in and before she knew it, she was missing their greetings because she was staring.

"-cer. It's been a while." Thinking it was the safest bet, Spencer dutifully met his gaze, smiling and nodding a response.

"So are we gonna order now?" Aiden asked during a beat of silence.

"You guys waited for me? You guys could have gotten started." Spencer said, confused.

"Ashley insisted," Aiden answered. His tone was light, but she didn't like the subtle wink he threw toward her.

"Right! Okay. Yes, let's order!" Spencer buried her face in her menu, pleased that Ashley made them wait, but worried by her own lack of composure.

"How's work going?" Aiden asked Spencer, as the group was struggling to maintain conversation as they waited for their food.

"Um, fine. I did a shoot with a family yesterday. They were cute. One of the kids was this god awful demon child, I swear. He tried to bite me."

She watched their reactions curiously. Aiden and Ashley both laughed in appreciation, but Kyle barely smiled.

When he saw she was watching though, he let out a forced chuckle and grabbed Ashley's hand in his own.

"That's hilarious," Kyle said. Despite his words, Spencer couldn't help but get the feeling that Kyle was not her biggest fan.

The feeling was mutual.

"How's _your _work, Ashley?" Spencer allowed herself this one moment of pretending is was just them two there together. "How's being a rockstar."

Ashley scoffed, but didn't correct her.

"It's really good." They shared a smile and then Aiden began to tell them all about his own job.

Spencer found it incredibly boring and actually went as far as to lean her head on his broad shoulder and close her eyes as he went on and on.

He barely notice, as Kyle and Ashley remained a polite audience.

Though he did finally stop talking about work, Spencer kept her head on his shoulder as they all talked.

Aiden, though rather dumb sometimes, was comfortable and she was feeling kind of dizzy. He wrapped his arm around her waist affectionately.

Spencer knew how much like a couple they probably appeared to others at the restaurant, which was actually quite amusing.

"Are you okay?" Aiden said softly to her, sensing that she was quieter than usual.

"Yeah...just a headache."

Immediately his free hand went to her forehead, but she pushed it away firmly.

"I'm fine, Aiden."

Though their words at first were soft enough to only be heard by each other, they had now gained the attention of both Ashley and Kyle.

"Let me just see if you have a fever, Spen." His hand once again reached toward her, but she dodged it expertly.

"What's going on?" Ashley was looking directly at her. Spencer felt nervous under her puzzled and concerned gaze.

"Spencer's got a fever," Aiden answered for her accusingly and she rolled her eyes.

"Aiden, what the hell? No I don't. It's a headache. Relax."

"**Every time** you get sick, Spencer, it's like you're in denial. You get so run down and you try to keep going. It's happened before and you know it."

Spencer wanted to scream. She was embarrassed and overwhelmed and he was making her feel worse.

Besides, she wasn't done with her meal yet.

"You're paranoid, first of all. Second of all, stop acting like my mother. I'm seriously fine."

This time Ashley chimed in. "Listen, we can do this another time. If you're not feeling well, we can leave."

"Go home and rest please. Seriously," Aiden added.

They had teamed up on her, watching her response carefully. Kyle looked on in boredom.

"I walked here," Spencer said, finally, admitting defeat, "can I get a ride from you?"

She was looking at Aiden while she spoke, but Ashley interrupted whatever his answer was going to be.

"We'll drive you home! We live closer to you. It's no problem."

Spencer looked to Aiden for approval. Apparently he _was_ her mother.

At Aiden's nod, she thanked both Ashley and Kyle, though _he_ had said nothing.

"Of course!"

Before Spencer knew what was happening, Ashley had come around to her side of the table and was pulling her from her seat like she was an invalid.

As pathetic as it was, Spencer let her.

She'd pass up no chance to be close to Ashley.

"Let's get you home, hey?" Ashley spoke softly after they had said their goodbyes to Aiden, leaving him with the uneaten food and the bill.

Spencer was too absorbed by Ashley's hand in her own to respond.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, so...it's been a LONG, long while. I kind of just stopped thinking about this story for a while, but a combination of guilt over a lack of closure plus new inspiration has led me to put some effort into continuing. Those of you who stuck with this story up to this point and are reading this now: Thank you so much. Your reviews make my day :) Your patience is truly appreciated.**

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"So, you're definitely feeling better?" Ashley asked Spencer as they lounged on the couch.

Lazy movie watching was the only thing on their agenda for the day.

"It was really just a headache," Spencer assured, secretly happy that Ashley was worried.

"That's good. So...do you have plans this evening?"

"No, why? What's this evening?"

Ashley looked away bashfully. "I'm playing tonight at this bar. Largo."

"_Playing_? Like music?"

"No. Rugby."

Spencer chose to ignore Ashley's sarcasm. She was too happy.

Instead, she launched herself towards the girl and threw her arms around her. There was no hesitation.

"Ashley! I'm so freaking excited! I've wanted to hear your music for so long!"

Ashley tightened her arms around Spencer's waist and Spencer felt her heart race. Hopefully Ashley did not.

Hearing the soft chuckle near beside her ear, Spencer finally pulled away.

"You smell good," Ashley offered with a content grin, changing the subject.

"So do you," Spencer replied flirtatiously with a level of confidence she had no idea was in her. "I'm really excited," she repeated.

"Me too," Ashely admitted, "I'm really glad you're coming."

The sincerity in her voice made Spencer's confidence falter. She broke eye contact just as the front door slammed.

"Hey baby!" the masculine voice hollered from the hallway and Spencer immediately felt out of place.

She shifted as if to get up, but Ashley grabbed her forearm with slight confusion and pulled her back down beside her.

"Hey, Kyle! Spencer and I are watching movies. Wanna join?"

He appeared around the corner, offering a charming smile.

Well, Spencer assumed it would be charming to others. To her, it was obnoxious.

"Absolutely!"

Ashley's smile widened.

Spencer shrank further into the couch as Ashely moved away from her to making room for Kyle.

"Wait, hold on!' Ashley shouted, "I'm gonna make lots of popcorn for us!"

As adorable as she looked skipping off to the kitchen, Ashley leaving meant Spencer and Kyle were alone.

"So..." Spencer said, not a huge fan of awkward silences. "Ashley is performing tonight! That's exciting, huh?"

"Yeah, it's really great."

He wasn't giving her much to work with.

"So, you'll be there, right? I'm sure she'll be amazing! I'm super glad to be going."

Kyle turned to Spencer slowly.

"See, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"What are you talking about? What's not a good idea?" Spencer asked, genuinely confused. She was expecting Kyle to crack a smile and tell her he was joking.

No such luck.

"I don't think you should come to Largo tonight," he reiterated, "Only our close friends are coming, Spencer. It's going to be a very intimate thing."

"It's a bar that's open to the public, right? Ashley invited me." She replied defensively.

"Yeah, she invited you, but she doesn't know that tonight is also her surprise birthday party. Her family is going to be there and I just think it'd be uncomfortable with you not really knowing anyone."

She could see he was attempting to adopt a sympathetic tone, but the blow was not softened.

"You're not _serious_" she reasoned, taking a step back, searching his face for a sign of deception. "Wait, it's Ashley's birthday? Why didn't she tell me?"

"Why would I lie?" Kyle said, tone getting harsher. "She doesn't like to make a big deal out of these kinds of things."

"I'm sorry, Spencer," he added as she still was having difficulties forming a reply.

"So...I shouldn't go tonight...even though Ashley specifically _asked_ me to be there?" She clarified.

"I'm sure you have better things to do. It's fine. Ashley will be so overwhelmed with all her family and friends being there, she won't mind."

_Is that meant to be comforting?_

"Alright...well..." Spencer didn't even know what to say. She internally vowed not to lose her composure.

Kyle only continued.

"I don't mean to be rude, but we are probably going to get ready to go soon, so do you mind if we cut this movie marathon short?"

"...Ummm...no that's fine. I understand. Let me just say goodbye to Ashley and at least say happy birthda-"

"-Oh, I'll tell her, no worries! I'll have her call you, okay?"

He might as well have pushed her out the door.

Spencer only nodded, confused and admittedly, quite hurt. That was certainly unexpected.

However, as she made her way to her car, it wasn't Kyle she was angry with.

It was herself.

It was the lack of fight she had in her. She just let Kyle tell her off.

_Fucking coward. Looks like I no longer have plans for tonight._

Sending a quick text to Chloe and Kristen, she hoped a night of drinking and dancing would make her forget his words.


	17. Chapter 17

They had tried to convince her to go.

Chloe stood on one side of her, tugging hard at her arm and cursing up a storm.

Kristen stood on the opposite side, giving some sort of advice that Spencer couldn't even hear over Chloe's strange method of motivational speaking.

They were edging her closer and closer to the door, but there was no way in hell she was going to go to a party she clearly wasn't welcome at.

"Fucking hell, Spencer! Shit! Kyle's a dickwad. Ashley _wants_ you to be there. You have to go!"

Finally having had enough, Spencer broke in.

"Jesus, _stop_. Guys! I appreciate all this, but can you just stop for a second?"

The apartment was finally silent. She was almost amused watching the contorted faces of the twins as they were working hard to contain all the words they wanted to say.

"Listen to me: I. Am. Not. Going."

She let out a sigh. Ashley would be playing within the next hour.

"Spencer!" Chloe insisted, "you're going to regret it if you don't go. Just because shitty Kyle doesn't want you there doesn't mean that everyone else wouldn't."

"We'll go with you!" Kristen added excitedly.

"None of us are going. I'm sure I can see Ashley play another time. I just want to stay in tonight, okay?"

Slowly, the girls nodded their heads in agreement.

They were surprisingly good about it too.

She figured they had given up when they started discussing DVDs to watch and what snacks to have.

However, when they thought she wasn't looking, she saw as they attempted to subtly gesture to each other that there was still more convincing to be done.

Through out the evening, they made numerous attempts to convince Spencer.

At one point, they attempted to use force, but when Chloe picked her up, Spencer put up quite the fight.

"You bit me!" Chloe howled and despite the situation, they all laughed hysterically.

Her message was clear. After awhile, the girls got bored of watching the movies they picked out, so they turned on the stereo.

Spencer was not in the best mood after the day she had, but was trying quite hard to keep her mind off of it.

So, in the small living room, they danced as crazily as they could.

Somehow, Spencer vaguely heard an insistent knock at the door. She threw the door open without thought, still slightly out of breath.

"Ashley," Spencer breathed out, heart fluttering as it always did when Ashley was in her vicinity. "What are you doing here?"

She looked worried.

"You didn't come tonight. I thought maybe there was an emergency or something."

Ashley peered over Spencer's shoulder into the apartment, instantly seeing Chloe and Kristen still wildly dancing as Kesha's "We R Who We R' blasted through the speakers.

"...But clearly that was not the case."

She was frowning deeply and eyes showing disappointment.

"Wait..." Spencer was bewildered, "Kyle said it was a party for you."

Ashley huffed in response. "It was. It was a surprise, I guess. Why did that stop you from coming? I thought you wanted to hear my music."

"I did! I_ do_. Kyle said..." She trailed off. As much as she wanted to punch Kyle's face in, she was worried Ashley wouldn't believe what she said.

"He said that it might be overwhelming for me being with people I didn't know, so I figured I should just stay home."

Ashley stared at her quizzically. "Kyle said you shouldn't come."

"No...yes..it was more like...yes."

"Unbelievable," Ashley remarked. "I'm so sorry, Spencer. He can get really jealous."

Noting how Spencer's eyes widened at that, Ashley elaborated.

"Since high school, it's always been me and him. Everyone else comes and goes. So, it's really hard for him when I spend a lot of time with someone that's not him."

Spencer wasn't sure what she was supposed to say or even what she wanted to say.

"Uhh. It's okay." _So sincere._

"I'll talk to him about it. I promise. Also, I'll be playing again at Largo next month so you better come."

Spencer nodded, smiling slightly.

"Alrighty. Sorry again. I wish you could have been there."

"Me too," Spencer said, sincerely.

"I better get home... It's pretty late. Call me sometime this week."

And then she turned away with a small smile.

"Ashley!" Spencer called out a minute later. She remembered something.

When she left Ashley's after speaking with Kyle, she had stopped at a flower shop.

She knew she wasn't going to be seeing Ashley and yet she went inside and bought a bouquet of lilies anyway. It was stupid.

Except...it turned out that it wasn't.

"Yeah?"

She jogged over to where Ashley was standing on the sidewalk and held out the flowers to her shyly.

"Happy Birthday."

Instead of accepting the flowers, Ashley enveloped Spencer into a warm hug, leaving her breathless.

"Thank you, Spence. They're really lovely."

_You're really lovely._

They were quiet a moment before Ashley spoke again.

Hey, Spencer?" She's probably going to ask why we're still hugging.

"Mhm?"

"So, Kesha? Really?"

"...Shut up. I voted for Ellie Goulding, but it was two against one."

She felt Ashley's body shake slightly with laughter and it made her laugh too.

Sufficiently convinced that everything was okay between them, Spencer pulled back from the hug.

"Care to join our dance party?"

The smirk she was rewarded made her knees weak.

"Absolutely."

"Kay," Spencer murmured happily, "But you have to convince them to play Ellie."

"I think I can handle that."

Ashley reached her hand out and covered Spencer's that was still holding the bouquet.

She attempted to take it into her own grasp, but Spencer didn't budge.

It was childish. They both giggled.

Still, neither girl pulled away or relinquished control, so they carried the flowers together.

It may have looked like an awkward and unnecessary position to an outsider, how they both held the the lilies.

Regardless, walking closely side by side towards the apartment with their hands meeting in the middle, it felt to them like a perfect fit.


End file.
